The present invention is related to an improvement in seating, particularly stadium seating, comprising an arrangement of a table and a plurality of folding swivel seats.
Seating space in an arena or sporting venue is of utmost importance. Revenue is often directly related to the number of seats sold for an event and it is therefore an ongoing desire to maximize the number of seats available for sale. A conflicting reality is the requirement that each fan must be provided with an environment which is conducive to interacting with their peers, a good view of the event and, generally, an environment suitable for an enjoyable event.
Arena or stadium seating is typically approximately linearly arranged with seats generally side-by-side and rows separated by the narrowest margin possible. With linearly arranged seating interactions occur, primarily, with the person to either side since interactions beyond that are awkward at best. With groups of four, for example, the people on each end are next to someone they may not even know and they are unable to communicate effectively with those that they attended the event with. A linear arrangement provides the highest practical seating density yet it is severely lacking with regards to fan comfort. For example, most fans enjoy some form of beverage or food at an event yet there is no convenient place to set beverage containers or food containers. Holders in the arm rest widen the overall footprint of a seat or limit the separation between rows neither of which is acceptable. Holders on the back of the seats, for use by the person to the rear, protrude slightly into the walkway between the rows and therefore are a hindrance to passage. Seated participants must stand to allow someone to pass through the aisle and any protrusion from a beverage holder further exasperates the constriction.
Yet another problem is the unused areas around an arena or sporting venue. Most venues are multiuse facilities with a variety of arrangements. A baseball game, for example, will have a different arrangement than a musical concert or a football game. Therefore, it is a necessity to have a modular arrangement since this allows the arena to be oriented in a variety of arrangements to maximize revenue. There is a desire to utilize mezzanine areas, staircase areas and the like in some circumstances yet systems for doing so are lacking in the art.
There continues to be a desire for a seating arrangement which is flexible, comfortable to the user, which provides an enhanced ability to interact with more than the immediate neighbor, and which provides a convenient location for beverages and food.